Russian sex guru and followers make Thai court appearance

PATTAYA, Thailand – A Russian sex guru and his followers, one of whom claims to have evidence of Moscow's interference in the 2016 U.S presidential election, have emerged briefly for a Thai court hearing after being held virtually incommunicado in an immigration jail.

The group's leader, Alexander Kirillov, and the woman making the election claims, Anastasia Vashukevich, were among about half a dozen people taken Tuesday to a court in the resort town of Pattaya, where they were arrested in February while holding a sex training course.

Tuesday's court calendar said they were there for testimony over the charge of holding the course without a work permit. The court hearing was closed and it was unclear if they had lawyers.

Police last week added more serious charges against them of soliciting and conspiracy.